Recent open data policies of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which were fully enforceable on October 1, 2016, require that federally funded information products (publications, etc.) be made freely available to the public, and that the underlying data on which the conclusions are based must be released. A key and relevant aspect of these policies is that data collected by USGS programs must be shared with the public, and that these data are subject to the review requirements of Fundamental Science Practices (FSP). These new policies add a substantial burden to USGS scientists and science centers; however, the upside of working towards compliance with...

Timely information regarding the risk of activity of invasive plant and animal species, which are biological hazards, is critical for efficient detection and control efforts by resource managers. The USA National Phenology Network will produce and deliver national-scale real-time and short-term forecast maps indicating the optimal time to detect and treat problematic, invasive insect pests including emerald ash borer and hemlock wooly adelgid. These risk maps will enhance decision-making and short-term planning by both natural resource managers and members of the public. The project will create workflows and modular, transferable tools and services to benefit USGS and associated stakeholder communities. A key outcome...

ScienceCache is a scientific geocaching mobile application framework that targets two user groups for citizen science data collection: youth and geocachers. By melding training and games into the hunt for place-based data collection sites and incorporating photo uploads as data and authentication, new volunteers can collaborate in robust data collection. Scientists build a project on the administrative Web site app, specifying locations or goals for new data collection sites, clues for established sites, questions to answer, measurements, or other activities for the site based on their individual data needs. The project builds on the success of the USA National Phenology Network (NPN) and the ScienceBase project...